NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- The Department of Justice settled a lawsuit against Jackson Township in New Jersey and the Jackson Planning Board that accused the town of enacting zoning laws to dissuade Orthodox Jews from living there.
In 2017, the Jackson City Council unanimously voted in favor of zoning laws that banned school dormitories and restricted where religious schools could be placed with the alleged intention of stopping Orthodox Jews from moving in at a time when their community was growing.
The DOJ sued the town in May 2020 for violating religious land use and discrimination laws.
“Zoning restrictions that intentionally target religious communities have no place in our society,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said. “Federal civil rights laws provide strong protections to ensure that religious communities are treated equally and not subjected to discrimination because of their beliefs. This resolution reaffirms that members of the Orthodox Jewish community — as with people of all faiths – are welcome in our communities and have the right to practice their religion free of discrimination.”
If approved by the court, the consent order that the town and the DOJ agreed to would replace the ordinances with zoning laws that allow religious schools and dormitories.
The new zoning would be required to treat religious schools equally with secular schools, and the town would be forced to train its officials on the requirements laid out by discrimination laws.
The town would also pay a civil penalty of $45,000 and an additional $150,000 that will be divided up among those affected by the illegal zoning laws.
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